


Special Circumstances II: Under Surveillance

by Viridian5



Series: Dark Angel [2]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Drama, Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1998-04-01
Updated: 1998-04-01
Packaged: 2017-10-02 08:19:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viridian5/pseuds/Viridian5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Mulder is drawn deeper into the X-Files, his predecessors continue to follow their own agenda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Special Circumstances II: Under Surveillance

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for "Travelers." That means this is 1990, folks.
> 
> You don't have to read "Special Circumstances I: A Show of Power" to understand this, but it would give a deeper meaning to this story's events.
> 
> A discussion with Small Woodinat Creature inspired the flirting line. Beta reading by Te.

As Fox Mulder walked away from former agent Arthur Dales' door, Special Agent Frank turned to his partner in their nearby room and said, "So that's why you had us switch assignments with Davidson and Podeszwa. Mulder's involved."

Special Agent Danielle Morley smiled as she adjusted her earphones. "It's certainly not because Dales' life is exciting. This building is substandard even for a dump."

"Isn't it about time you told me what's going on, Dan?"

"It's more fun when you guess. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Dan--"

"Okay. Some killer freak said the magic word: Mulder."

"As in Fox Mulder?" Joe threw a shoe at one of the large rodents they shared the abandoned apartment with. Despite an aim honed in 'Nam and years of countless sanction missions, Joe couldn't hit the rat, which escaped untouched to rejoin its brethren. Another chunk of wall that wasn't so lucky fell down in a spray of powder. Joe snarled.

"No, as in _Bill_ Mulder. That's why Fox is here, to talk to the agent originally assigned to the freak's case. If I left this one with Davidson and Podeszwa, Dales would disappear from his apartment without a trace before Fox got a crack at him. No one would ever find him again. With us here, we all get to hear about Pappy Mulder's involvement in whatever-it-was. I had to bribe Davidson with prime Pittsburgh Penguins tickets to make the trade."

"Whereas Podeszwa is sweet on you and did it because you asked."

"Oh, hush your mouth. Joe, that case file Fox Mulder brought with him is an X-File."

Joe processed that statement and what it meant to him and Dan and the other Special Circumstances X-Files fixer team. Certain extinction with a rapidly approaching doomsday date. The Consortium couldn't let Fox Mulder find out that his predecessors had been ordered to cover up instead of investigate those files. The Consortium often used murder to make its problems go away.

Joe tried not to think about it. "Fox Mulder just left with jack squat."

"He'll be back." She made it sound ominous.

"But in the meantime we have to sit through Dales' exciting life."

"Well you do." She exchanged her surveillance headphones for her CD Diskman earphones and started to jump rope. She began to softly sing, "25 whores in the room next door..."

Joe sighed. The kid constantly played the hell out of her new favorite album. "I wish," he muttered. "It would be much more interesting."

******************************************************

The next day Fox Mulder returned while Joe was popping corn over a portable range. Using the portable reminded Joe of his long ago college days. When he mentioned it to Dan, she smirked and asked if he'd lived in a rotting dump with rats and roaches and spied on his neighbors then too.

"Our boy is in! He only had to threaten the codger. Way to go, Fox!" Dan said as she watched the monitor. "I told you, Joe."

"Hey, watch the 'codger' references."

"You'll never be a codger, Joe. Even when you're old you'll be young at heart."

"Flatterer. What the hell is Mulder doing?" Joe asked.

"You mean that thing with his bangs? He did that yesterday too."

"It's annoying as all hell," Joe said, and Dan nodded her enthusiastic assent. The partners shared a private look. "Sound like something you want to bet on?"

"The usual style?" she asked.

"Yeah. I bet that he'll do that 12 times during the interview."

"I say 19."

"19? Do you know something I don't?"

"Backing out?"

"Hell no. You're on." He handed her a bowl of buttered popcorn. "When did he start smoking?"

"A few days after Baltimore."

"Oh. Shit. What about the ring?"

"A few months ago. I couldn't believe he could do it, but he managed to find another bitch like that Green chick he met in England." She grinned maliciously. "I foresee trouble for our engaged couple. I think something nasty from her past is about to come to light."

"Something true or--"

"Joe! You think I would fabricate something?" She smirked. "I don't have to. She's up to her neck in something so nasty that not even Fox Mulder will think he deserves her."

"Oh, yeah, you've really been staying away from him."

"I haven't seen him in months."

"You were on that SWAT team two months ago. Hell, you bagged his killer for him."

"But I always stood in the back. I never _saw_ him, and he never saw me."

"Are you going to get him to quit smoking too?"

"If I can. Everybody needs a hobby, Joe. I won't get too involved though. Babysitting Fox Mulder would be a second career."

"Why does Mulder get to be your lucky human version of a stamp collection?"

"I might be Samantha Mulder. It would be my obligation to keep my big bro out of trouble."

"You might not be. You probably aren't. This is about doing something the Boss Man nixed and helping someone he screwed over." Joe's eyes darkened. "Sorry, wrong choice of words."

"Even beyond the horrible things he does to everyone around him, I have personal reasons to make him suffer. The bastard thinks I'm his lapdog. Well, I'm one lap puppy who's going to bite off his--"

"I get the idea, Dan. Really I do."

****************************************************

"Goddammit, Mulder, stop doing that!"

"Dan, don't you want to win the bet?"

"Yeah, but that nervous gesture with his bangs is making me crazy! I feel like running in there and slapping his hands, or breaking into his apartment tonight and trimming them."

"That should help his paranoia."

She laughed. "It would make me feel better. There's Bang Swipe #17."

"The count is already closer to your number than mine. If he hits exactly your number, you double your money."

"Is he nervous? Flirting? What the hell is he doing? #18." She slipped one of the earphones off. "Did you hear that?"

"A little. From the door? Sounds like someone's trying to pick the locks."

They looked at one another, smiled, and pulled out their guns. As soon as the group of men had the door open, Joe and Dan sprayed the doorway with bullets. Five men fell dead to the floor.

Joe walked over to the corpses. "They might be drug dealers who thought they could rob us or figured we were cops they could avenge themselves on. Definitely not government professionals."

"Good. I hate dealers. I wouldn't mind knocking off a few more professionals though."

"I'll take them out of common sight. You have more of an interest in Mulderana than I do."

"You're such a gentleman."

Joe Frank dragged the bodies into the room then closed and locked the door. No one would notice a few more bullet holes.

"Hey, Joe! Oh, wait, #19! I just heard the quintessential Bill Mulder story. In an act of rebellion against the Consortium he set a homicidal hybrid loose on an unsuspecting public. I'm sure the public would thank him if it could."

"That was the killer freak?"

"Yup. Bill Mulder strikes again. No, Fox, put that hand down now! Damn. #20. #21."

"That boy needs help." They both knew Fox Mulder needed help. They also knew he would never get it. "Well, at least you won the small pot."

"Fox is leaving. Time to sweep out our target. Dales is disappearing whether he likes it or not. He probably won't appreciate his luck in getting us on his case." After they packed up their equipment, with the intention of coming back for the rest of the bugs later, Joe went outside to stand below the old man's windows while Dan started to pick the many locks on Dales' apartment door. Her keen hearing detected sudden movement running for what she figured to be the outside wall. She abandoned her task and ran outside to help Joe with his side.

When she reached him he already had their target hanging unconscious and limp in his hands. "Had to knock him out. The 'codger' is tougher than he looks."

Another person to deliver to their own special version of the witness protection network, another tape to deliver to the Lone Gunmen and a few other choice organizations. Just another day in her life.

### End


End file.
